Help give Pewsey families the care they need

VOLUNTEERS are needed to offer a helping hand to struggling families through the charity Home-Start Kennet.

The Pewsey charity is looking for parents to give up a couple of hours a week to support other families in Marlborough, Devizes, Pewsey, Tidworth and the small villages in between.

It has a wide variety of volunteers, both men and women, from different backgrounds ranging from 20-70.

Trustee Sara Holden said: “Some are winding down after busy lives at work or with their own families, others are gearing up and hope to use their experience to start a new career.

“We have a special commitment to the Tidworth community, both civilian and military, and welcome volunteers from all backgrounds to work in this growing and developing area.”

New volunteers will receive professional training and there is the opportunity to gain national accreditation.

Ms Holden said: “Our volunteers find the work very rewarding – many will say how much they come to care for the families they were supporting, though they were careful to avoid becoming attached and losing their objectivity. They enjoy helping parents, who have many other pressures, to enjoy their children and they feel that they are making a real difference to the life of a young child, at a crucial early stage.”

She said the most frequent motivation expressed by volunteers was altruism and wanting to give something back. But she said a few years of volunteering can provide the experience needed to undertake professional training or obtain an entry level job.

The next preparation course begins on September 30 and runs for eight consecutive Tuesdays.